Troy High's Vinny Pennisi (left) and Dorrell Williams (right) were newcomers to the Troy football program a season ago, but they're starters on the defensive line this year. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record)

Check out the full story on how these two developed into top-flight football players in Friday's edition of The Record.

Saturday at 1:30 p.m., the Flying Horses (8-0) host Gloversville (7-1) in a Section II Class A semifinal. The Huskies' only loss of the season was to Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in Week 3, a 46-6 thumping.
Gloversville, however, is a very balanced team, able to switch between the pass and the run. Still, Gloversville has yet to face a defense like Troy's.

"From this weekend on, if you’re fortunate to win, you keep playing," Troy High head coach Jack Burger said. "We’ve been fortunate some years to play a tenth game and some years, up to a 13th game. It’s no fun just playing nine games. Too much goes into it for nine games."

Some of you may remember the helicopter over Edward C. Picken Field prior to the game against Amsterdam earlier this season. Our photographer Tom Killips was up there lining up for a shot of RPI's new East Campus Village Stadium, which was happening at the same time. Anyway, here is a bird's-eye view of Troy's playing field.

Hudson Falls (West No. 2, 5-3) at Lansingburgh (Reinfurt No. 1, 7-1, Friday, 7 p.m.

About Hudson Falls: Senior RB Kyle Sipowicz was injured two weeks ago and will not play the remainder of the season, but his fill-in, Dakota Drake, has proven to be more than adequate the past few weeks. Drake has rushed for at least 162 yards in each of his past four games, scoring 10 touchdowns in that span for the defending Section II Class B champions.
About Lansingburgh: The Knights relied on Tyrone Nichols in a redeeming victory over Broadalbin last week, as Nichols gained 243 yards on 13 attempts and scored a pair of touchdowns in the 35-0 win. Lansingburgh has scored more points (309) and allowed fewer (134) than any other team in Class B.
Notable: Lansingburgh defeated Hudson Falls 35-0 in Week 1, but the Tigers have rallied to win four straight. Lansingburgh won postseason games against Hudson Falls in 2005, 2003 and 2002.

Cohoes (Reinfurt No. 2, 6-2) at Schalmont (West No. 1, 6-2), Friday, 7 p.m.

About Cohoes: The Tigers are 5-0 at home this season – including four come-from behind victories – but have won only once on the road in three tries. Junior RB Anthony Fogarty, who rushed for 107 yards combined through Cohoes’ first three games, rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s comeback against Cobleskill.
About Schalmont: Vince Gallo is Section II’s third-best rusher, having piled up 1,544 yards on the ground on 202 attempts. The senior QB has also passed for 257 yards and a pair of scores out of the Sabres’ spread option set. Schalmont won its first postseason game in school history last week against Albany Academy.
Notable: The teams last met in Week 1 of the 2007 season, a game Cohoes won, 18-14

Bishop Gibbons (No. 4, 6-2) at Rensselaer (No. 1, 7-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

About Bishop Gibbons: Derrick Pitts rushed for six touchdowns and 160 yards in a quarterfinal victory over Warrensburg Sunday, Gibbons’ first postseason victory in school history. The Golden Knights are guaranteed their second consecutive winning season, the first time that has happened for them since the 1971-72 seasons.
About Rensselaer: The Rams earned a quarterfinal bye and easily handled Mechanicville, a Class C team that narrowly missed the postseason on a quarter points tiebreaker, in a crossover game last week. Only six players in Section II have scored more points than Mico De Los Santos, who has piled up 121 points through eight games.
Notable: The Rams earned a 49-19 Week 3 victory over the Golden Knights in Schenectady. Bishop Gibbons and Rensselaer are both 4-1 since that game.

Granville (North No. 3, 7-1) vs. Hoosick Falls (North No. 1, 8-0) (at Stillwater), Saturday, 2 p.m.

About Granville: Granville won its first-ever postseason game last weekend by traveling two-plus hours to Fonda and shutting down the Braves’ high-powered offense, holding them to a pair of rushing touchdowns in a 29-14 victory. The other three teams remaining in the Class C tournament, however, have all scored more points and allowed fewer than the Golden Horde.
About Hoosick Falls: Alex Hansen made his final home game on Ken Baker Field a memorable one, as he rushed for 254 yards and four touchdowns in a big 36-0 victory over Canajoharie. Over his last two games, Hansen has rushed for 582 yards and six touchdowns.
Notable: Traditional Wasaren League rivals, these teams last met in Week 5 of the 2008 season. Hoosick Falls won 24-14. This game will be played on the FieldTurf surface at Stillwater High School, which will also host the Cambridge vs. Chatham semifinal at 7 p.m.

SECTION II STAT PACK

Rushing
Player, School, Att., Yds., Avg., TD
Jordan Charbonneau, Corinth, 209, 1552, 7.4, 16
Josh Keyes, Chatham, 100, 1547, 15.5, 31
Vince Gallo, Schalmont, 202, 1544, 7.6, 19
Caleb Meroski, Lake George, 181, 1338, 7.4, 16
Derrick Pitts, Bishop Gibbons, 146, 1295, 8.9, 18
Tymear Mallory, Bishop Maginn, 166, 1259, 7.6, 10
Bronson Greene, Shenendehowa, 159, 1220, 7.7, 16
Alex Tesoriero, Columbia, 156, 1201, 7.7, 10
Alex Hansen, Hoosick Falls, 150, 1182, 7.9, 19
Tyrone Nichols, Lansingburgh, 104, 1153, 11.1, 14

Receiving
Player, School, Rec., Yds., Avg., TD
Justin Salvione, Johnstown, 39, 563, 14.4, 9
James Currier, Voorheesville, 31, 528, 17.0, 6
Jesse Lybert, Cambridge, 24, 507, 21.1, 5
Dane O’Neil, Canajoharie, 24, 496, 20.7, 5
Aaron Hall, Gloversville, 29, 486, 16.8, 9
Lou DiNovo, La Salle, 27, 454, 16.8, 8
Justin Markley, Cobleskill, 28, 449, 16.0, 5
Keaton Flint, Burnt Hills, 26, 447, 17.2, 7
Tyler Hall, Fonda, 24, 434, 18.1, 8
Kyle Hanson, Fonda, 27, 411, 15.2, 4

Passing
Player, School, Comp., Att., Yds., TD, Int.
Ryan Smith, Guilderland, 119, 211, 1445, 15, 5
Kyle Parmenter, Cambridge, 71, 147, 1321, 16, 8
Seth Hidde, Fonda, 83, 145, 1319, 16, 3
Adam Biron, Johnstown, 99, 206, 1112, 14, 5
Phil Neumann, Burnt Hills, 61, 96, 1009, 12, 3
Chad McCloskey, Gloversville, 72, 127, 958, 12, 4
Mike Brewster, Hoosick Falls, 62, 109, 913, 12, 1
Cullen Hanna, Cobleskill, 66, 139, 891, 7, 5
Ryan Duncan, Voorheesville, 69, 141, 875, 11, 8
Ryan Macari, Averill Park, 50, 123, 870, 10, 13

Scoring
Player, School, TD, PAT, FG, 2PT., Tot.
Josh Keyes, Chatham, 35, 0, 0, 1, 212
Zay Richardson, Albany Academy, 24, 0, 0, 2, 148
Alex Hansen, Hoosick Falls, 23, 0, 0, 3, 144
Vince Gallo, Schalmont, 21, 0, 0, 2, 130
Shatiek Lewis, Troy, 20, 0, 0, 1, 122
Jordan Charbonneau, Corinth, 18, 7, 0, 3, 121
Mico De Los Santos, Rensselaer, 16, 13, 0, 5, 119
Caleb Meroski, Lake George, 17, 0, 0, 6, 114
Derrick Pitts, Bishop Gibbons, 18, 0, 0, 2, 112
Anthony Fogarty, Cohoes, 18, 0, 0, 0, 108
Bronson Greene, Shenendehowa, 18, 0, 0, 0, 108

Kicking
Player, School, PAT, FG, Tot.
Michael Gilbert, Chatham, 48, 0, 48
Nick Daley, Saratoga Springs, 30, 5, 45
Evan Nusbaum, Burnt Hills, 42, 0, 42
Matt Best, Cambridge, 35, 0, 35
Matt Beighey, Ballston Spa, 31, 0, 31
Tim Pompa, Saratoga Central Catholic, 9, 6, 27
Dan Millington, Shenendehowa, 26, 0, 26
Jake Shaw, Lansingburgh, 26, 0, 26
Jarrett Lucas, Gloversville, 21, 1, 24
Brandon Sealey, Canajoharie, 21, 1, 24

The Record's Week 9 Power Poll

Class AA
Team League Overall Last Week
1. Saratoga Springs 5-0 7-1 2
The Blue Streaks have won seven in a row since their Week 1 loss to La Salle and will get another tough test from another Liberty League opponent, Schenectady. Saratoga last won a Class AA Super Bowl in 2004.
2. Ballston Spa 4-1 7-1 3
The Scotties lucked out with another home game after Guilderland upset No. 1 La Salle in the quarterfinals. Can Ballston Spa put it to good use and set up a Super Bowl rematch with Saratoga Springs?
3. Schenectady 4-1 6-2 4
The Patriots got their revenge against Shenendehowa last week in the quarterfinals and will need to upset Saratoga to advance to their second Class AA Super Bowl in as many years.
4. Guilderland 2-3 4-4 NR
The Dutchmen shocked La Salle last week in overtime, making this Guilderland’s third trip to the Class AA semifinals in school history.
5. La Salle 5-0 7-1 1
The Cadets outsmarted teams in Class AA all season long, but the luck just didn’t last in the playoffs. How does La Salle recoup from all its senior losses in 2010?

Class A
Team League Overall Last Week
1. Troy 5-0 8-0 1
With one more victory, the Flying Horses would advance to a Section II Super Bowl for the first time since the 2003 season.
2. Burnt Hills 5-0 8-0 2
The Spartans have won their past four Section II Class A quarterfinal contests by a combined score of 196-19. They’ve won semifinal contests the past three seasons by a score of 101-53.
3. Gloversville 4-1 7-1 3
The Huskies snapped a six-game postseason losing streak last week by shutting out Bishop Maginn. They have not appeared in a Section II semifinal since 2000 before losing to La Salle in the Class A Super Bowl.
4. Niskayuna 4-1 6-2 4
The Silver Warriors scored on a hook-and-ladder play late in last week’s game to hold off Queensbury and they’ll need plenty of trickery to pull one over on Burnt Hills tonight.
5. Queensbury 3-2 4-4 5
The Spartans were clearly the next-best team in Class A, but just didn’t have enough luck to make it to the Final Four.

Class B
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Lansingburgh, 4-0, 7-1, 1
The Knights posted their first playoff shutout since 2006 when they blanked Broadalbin 35-0 last week. QB T.J. McLaughlin has thrown for 786 yards and 11 TDs in 2009.
2, Schalmont, 4-0, 6-2, 2
Vince Gallo is nearing last year’s total rushing yardage of 1,612 yards. He has gained 1,544 this season, so he needs just 68 yards to set a new personal best.
3, Cohoes, 3-1, 6-2, 3
The Tigers are looking to get past the Section II semifinals for the first time in school history. Cohoes was tripped up in the second round in 2008, 2002 and 2000.
4, Hudson Falls, 3-1, 5-3, 4
The Tigers have advanced to the Section II Class B semifinals for the sixth time this decade. Hudson Falls won Section II Super Bowls in 2000 and 2008.
5, Hudson, 2-2, 5-3, NR
The Bluehawks’ high-powered offense sputtered in the rain in Hudson Falls last week, bouncing Hudson a season after they upset Schalmont in the first round in 2008.

Class C
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Hoosick Falls, 6-0, 8-0, 1
The Panthers will look to advance to their fourth Section II Class C Super Bowl this decade, but they need to defeat Granville to get there.
2, Chatham, 6-0, 8-0, 2
Josh Keyes needs just 53 yards to break the 1,600-yard barrier, which would vault him into the top 30 single-season rushing efforts in Section II history.
3, Cambridge, 5-1, 7-1, 3
The Indians made a big statement in the quarters, shutting out Voorheesville 41-0. How will Class C’s best defense fare against Chatham’s Keyes?
4, Granville, 5-1, 7-1, NR
The best season in Golden Horde history rolls on, and although they carry a 7-1 record into Saturday’s semi against Hoosick Falls, Granville will be the decided underdog. They were against Fonda last week, too.
5, Fonda-Fultonville, 5-1, 6-2, 4
The Braves have qualified for the postseason 14 years in a row, tied with Burnt Hills behind Cambridge’s active streak of 15 consecutive playoff appearances.

Class D
Team, League, Overall, Last Week
1, Rensselaer, 6-0, 7-1, 1
The Rams have the inside track to their second consecutive Section II Class D Super Bowl. They defeated the three remaining teams in the Classs D bracket during the regular season by a 119-24 margin.
2, Bishop Gibbons, 4-2, 6-2, 4
The Golden Knights are now looking for their first-ever playoff victory on the road, a tough task in Rensselaer.
3, Greenwich, 5-1, 6-2, 2
The Witches squeaked by Schuylerville in a crossover last week, 28-21. Resting for the semis, perhaps?
4, Saratoga Central Catholic, 2-5, 3-5, NR
Tim Pompa kicked a pair of extra points and a field goal, providing the difference in the Saints’ first-ever playoff victory last week in Lake George, 17-14.
5, Lake George, 5-1, 5-3, 3
The Warriors started out strong, but dropped two in a row to end their 2009 run in Class D.


Class AA
League Overall
Liberty Division W-L W-L PF PA
La Salle (24) 5-0 7-1 231 74
Schenectady 4-1 6-2 242 113
Bethlehem 2-3 3-5 129 236
Colonie 2-3 3-5 113 188
Columbia 1-4 2-6 107 227
Shaker 1-4 3-5 117 154
Empire Division
Saratoga Springs (15) 5-0 7-1 253 87
Ballston Spa (20) 4-1 7-1 267 83
Shenendehowa 3-2 5-3 238 193
Guilderland 2-3 4-4 153 232
CBA 1-4 1-7 90 227
Albany 0-5 0-8 96 224

Class A
League Overall
Division I W-L W-L PF PA
Troy (6) 5-0 8-0 378 21
Niskayuna 4-1 6-2 180 151
Bishop Maginn 2-3 3-5 128 259
Averill Park 2-3 3-5 113 248
Scotia-Glenville 2-3 2-6 126 265
Mohonasen 0-5 0-8 74 223
Division II
Burnt Hills (2) 5-0 8-0 373 67
Gloversville 4-1 7-1 244 107
Queensbury 3-2 4-4 191 135
Glens Falls 2-3 3-5 118 175
Amsterdam 1-4 2-6 78 259
South Glens Falls 0-5 2-6 87 182

Class B
League Overall
Reinfurt Division W-L W-L PF PA
Lansingburgh (10) 4-0 7-1 309 134
Cohoes 3-1 6-2 223 180
Hudson 2-2 6-2 218 236
Albany Academy 1-3 4-3 276 228
Ravena 0-4 2-6 161 200
Ichabod Crane* 0-0 0-8 12 385
West Division
Schalmont 4-0 6-2 237 166
Hudson Falls 3-1 5-3 203 158
Cobleskill 2-2 2-7 157 250
Broadalbin-Perth 1-3 3-5 154 200
Johnstown 0-4 0-8 131 317

Class C
League Overall
North Division W-L W-L PF PA
Hoosick Falls (7) 6-0 8-0 266 71
Cambridge (10) 5-1 7-1 304 28
Granville 5-1 7-1 201 116
Corinth 4-2 5-3 187 150
Mechanicville 4-2 5-3 171 187
Tamarac 2-4 3-5 137 183
Schuylerville 2-5 2-6 190 205
Hoosic Valley 0-6 1-7 107 262
Stillwater 0-7 1-7 54 302
South Division
Chatham (12) 6-0 8-0 426 68
Fonda-Fultonville 5-1 6-2 260 124
Voorheesville 6-1 6-2 204 186
Canajoharie 4-2 5-3 210 111
Taconic Hills 3-4 4-4 193 192
Watervliet 2-4 3-5 170 174
Catholic Central 1-5 2-5 126 159
Cairo-Durham 1-5 2-6 68 280
Coxsackie-Athens 0-6 1-6 131 249

Class D
League Overall
W-L W-L PF PA
Rensselaer (10) 6-0 7-1 324 79
Greenwich 5-1 6-2 244 107
Lake George 5-1 5-3 205 129
Bishop Gibbons 4-2 6-2 241 144
Saratoga Catholic 2-5 3-5 109 214
Warrensburg 2-4 2-6 143 221
Fort Edward 2-4 3-5 146 198
Salem 2-4 2-5 86 264
Whitehall 0-7 1-7 106 235
*Ichabod Crane playing a Class C schedule and is ineligible for postseason
Numbers in parentheses indicate New York State Sportswriters Association ranking


HS Football admission: Tickets for Section II football games in all five classifications - semifinal and Super Bowl level - cost $6 at the gate. Super Bowls next week will be held at neutral sites: Class AA (Colonie HS, Nov.6, 7 p.m.), Class A (Shenendehowa HS, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.), Class B (Schenectady, Nov. 7, 1 p.m.), Class C (Saratoga or CBA, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.), Class D (Glens Falls HS, Nov. 7, 1 p.m.).


Friday
Class AA
L2 Schenectady at E1 Saratoga Springs 7 p.m.
E4 Guilderland at E2 Ballston Spa 7 p.m.
Class A
D-I No. 2 Niskayuna at D-II No. 1 Burnt Hills 7 p.m.
Class B
W2 Hudson Falls at R1 Lansingburgh 7 p.m.
R2 Cohoes at W1 Schalmont 7 p.m.
Class D
No. 5 Saratoga Central Catholic at No. 2 Greenwich 7 p.m.
No. 4 Bishop Gibbons at No. 1 Rensselaer 7 p.m.
Crossover
La Salle at Shenendehowa 7 p.m.
Voorheesville at Corinth 7 p.m.
Tamarac at Catholic Central 7 p.m.
Schuylerville at Lake George 7 p.m.

Saturday
Class A
D-II No. 2 Gloversville at D-I No. 1 Troy 1:30 p.m.
Class C
Semifinals played at Stillwater High School
N3 Granville vs N1 Hoosick Falls 2 p.m.
N2 Cambridge vs S1 Chatham 7 p.m.